Adjustable finger ring with means for maintaining adjustment



March 18, 1969 R. J. DENNEN ADJUSTABLE FINGER RING WITH MEANS FORMAINTAINING ADJUSTMENT Filed Jan. 27, 1965 Eusse)! JOE/men 59 hisAttorney 3M 4: Wm)

United States Patent 3,433,032 ADJUSTABLE FINGER RING WITH MEANS FORMAINTAINING ADJUSTIVIENT Russell J. Dennen, 30 Horton St., Attleboro,Mass. 02703 Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 428,313 U.S. Cl. 6315.65 Int.Cl. A44c 9/02 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relatesto jewelry and more particularly [0 expandable finger rings. A ringwhich may be expanded in size has numerous benefits not only in itsmanufacture but to the wearer as well. If a ring of a given style can bemade in a limited number of basic sizes, for example large, medium andsmall, an obvious advantage is gained by the manufacturer in tooling andthe retailer in being able to maintain smaller inventories than if fulland half sizes were made for each style. It follows, however, that sucha basic ring must be expandable to the in-between full and half sizes.

Another advantage is gained by the wearer, particularly children, whosefingers are growing in size. A nonexpandable ring soon becomes too smallfor a child and it must be either discarded or enlarged by a jeweler.The latter requires either stretching, which tends to distort interiorand exterior engraving, or cutting of the shank and the insertion of amatching metal piece. Sizing of a ring usually must be performed in ajewelry repair shop or by a manufacturer and generally is not performedin retail jewelry stores.

The concept of expandable finger rings is not new. It has been knownsince the time of the ancient Egyptians. For the most part, however, inmodern times, rings have been made expandable by constructing them witha finger encircling shank portion having a gap or two disassociatedshank members which lie side by side beneath the finger opposite the topof the ring. These unsecured shank members are usually bent toward oraway from each other in a direction circumferentially of the shank as awhole to decrease or increase the shank diameter. By and large rings ofthis type are inexpensive costume pieces and have frequently been foundas give away prizes of plastic or nonprecious metal in packages ofadvertised merchandise. A distinct disadvantage of this type of ring isthat it tends to pinch the finger.

It is an object of this invention to produce an attractive ringpossessing all of the advantages of being expandable and none of thedisadvantages of prior expandable rings.

It is another object of this invention to produce a finger ring whichmay be readily expanded by the wearer without requiring special tools orfiller pieces.

Another object of this invention is to produce a finger ring havingrelatively unobvious means for expanding it.

Yet another object is to produce an expandable finger ring which may beenlarged by an adult or child Without returning it to a jeweler.

Still another object is to produce an expandable finger ring which inbeing expanded permits the ring to assume 3,433,032 Patented Mar. 18,1969 a varying appearance without appreciably distorting interior orexterior engraving.

In accordance with these objects and as a feature of this invention,there is provided an expandable finger ring comprising a flexible shankterminating in a pair of free ends which are each pivotally connected toa substantially rigid linking member. Pivotal movement of the ends ofthe shank with respect to the link causes the diameter of the flexibleshank to expand and contract depending upon whether the link is causedto lie in, transversely of or diagonally of the median plane of theshank. The linking member may also serve as a decoration per se, a stonesetting or a mounting means for a stone setting.

The above and other features of the invention including various noveldetails of construction and combinations of parts will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particularexpandable rings embodying the invention are shown by way ofillustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. Theprinciples and features of this invention may be employed in varied andnumerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an expandable finger ring embodying theinvention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are bottom views of the ring of FIG. 1 in stages ofprogressive expansion with the central bottom portion of their shanksbroken away for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 1 showing another form ofring embodying the invention;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are bottom views of the ring of FIG. 5 also in stagesof progressive expansion with the central bottom portions of theirshanks broken away for clarity; and

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views of additional forms of rings inWhich the invention may be embodied.

Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1-4, a ring embodying theinvention is shown including a flexible shank 2 terminating in a pair offree ends 4 and 6. Overlying and interconnecting the ends 4 and 6 of theshank is a relatively rigid linking member or link 8 pivotally securedto the ends by small rivets, screws or other pivotal connectors 10 atspaced points near the ends of the link. The distance between the ends 4and 6 is thereby maintained constant by the link 8. The link 8 (FIG. 1)supports a pair of stone settings indicated 12a and 12b and mounting astone 14a and 14b respectively. The settings may be secured to thepivots 10 by extending the pivots upwardly through the link 8 joiningthe link 8 to the ends 4 and 6 of the shank 2.

If desired, each of the settings 12 and its associated pivot 10 may berotatable together with respect to the link 8 and fixed with respect tothe shank end to which it is attached. As herein shown, a prong 13 ofeach setting is engageable upon rotation with a prong and stone 14 ofthe other setting thereby to aid in maintaining the flexible shank in aselected position of diameter adjustment in the manner now to bedescribed.

In its initial or smallest diameter position of adjustment the endportions of the shank 2 immediately adjacent the free ends 4 and 6 aresubstantially parallel with each other producing the smallest shankdiameter as represented by FIG. 2. Note that the link 8 extendsdiagonally between the ends 4 and 6 with the settings 12a and 12b andtheir stones 14a and 1412 also on the diagonal. The shank 2 isconstructed of flexible material preferably alloyed gold with some butnot an appreciable amount of memory whereby it will assume and maintainthe position into which it is placed. Rotation of the settings 12a and12b mounting the stones 14a and 14b counterclockwise with respect toeach other as viewed in FIG. 1 or clockwise as viewed from their bottomsas in FIGS. 2 to 4, causes the ends 4 and 6 to pivot with respect to thelink 8. The ends 4 and 6 and consequently the settings 12 move inarcuate paths at a fixed distance from each other. The pivots 10 shouldbe made relatively tight to prevent the shank 2 from returning to itsoriginal position should it have sufficient spring back or memory.Progressive enlargement of the diameter of the shank 2 is seen in FIGS.2 to 4. The ends 4 and 6 move away from the plane I defined by lowerportions of the shank 2 from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. 3 position where thestones 14a and 14b are then aligned transversely of the plane P, i.e.they are aligned lengthwise of the wearers finger. This is accomplishedby clockwise rotation of the settings 12a and 12b with respect to eachother as viewed in FIGS. 2 to 4. Infinite intermediate positions ofadjustment are obviously possible.

Continued relative rotative movement of the settings with respect to theplane P or the midpoint of the link 8 between the pivots 10 producesfull enlargement of the shank diameter as represented by FIG. 4 whereinthe settings 12a and 12b are aligned in the plane P or transversely ofthe Wearers finger. Observe that the link 8 has undergone a clockwiserotation (when viewed from below) about an axis passing through its ownmidpoint and the center of the bottom of the shank 2. Conversely, theshank diameter is reduced by the opposite rotational movement of thesettings and link 8.

FIGS. through 8 illustrate another form the invention may take. Insteadof a single bar link 8 mounting the two settings 12a and 12b and stones14a and 14b, the linking member may be of multiarm construction hereindesignated 16 and shown of cruciform design. A cluster of stones, notshown, may be set, by being arranged'one at the extremity of each arm 18of the linking member 16 and/or one at the center of the cruciform link16. Similarly, stone chips or baguettes may be set lengthwise of thearms 18 or the link 16 may be engraved or left plain therebyconstituting the entire visible portion of the ring except for the shank2. The invention obviously operates in the same manner as the FIG. 1embodiment. FIGS. 9 to 11 illustrate still further embodiments theinvention may take. The ends 4 and 6 are pivotally con- 4 nected toplates 20, 22 and 24 shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, respectively. The platesare the equivalent of the link 8 of FIG. 1. The plate 20 is octagonaland its exposed surface may be engraved or lacquered, etc. The plate 24(FIG. 11) is rectangular and similar in appearance and function to theoctagonal plate 20. The plate 22 is circular and in like manner may beengraved, lacquered, or mount, for example, a circular cabochon stone.Any or all of the plates 22, 24, 26 may be provided with prongs 26 toset stones of appropriate shape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an expandable ring having a flexible shank terminating in a pairof free ends and means including a linking member pivotally joined toeach said end and connecting said ends for arcuate movement with respectto each other to vary the diameter of the flexible shank, theimprovement comprising means for ornamenting said ring and formaintaining the flexible shank in a selected osition of diameteradjustment, said latter means including a stone setting located each atthe free ends and having stone mounting prongs, said settings being ofsutficient size with respect to the linking member that when the freeends and their settings are moved with respect to each other to changeshank size, a prong of one setting is engageable with a prong and stoneof the other setting to resist unwanted movement of the shank end andthus aid in maintaining the flexible shank in the selected position ofadjustment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 668 2/1859 Friend et al.6315.45 309,525 12/1884 Corbin 639 1,815,058 7/1931 Genser 6320 FOREIGNPATENTS 11,500 5/1911 Great Britain.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primaly Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 32116

